Our Daily Bread 14th November 2020 Devotional Message
Topic: Inside the Fire
Today’s Scripture: Daniel 3:12–18(NIV)
Bible in a Year: Lamentations 3–5; Hebrews 10:19–39
Key Verse: I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed. – Daniel 3:25
Today’s Insight: Understanding more about the furnace described in Daniel 3 helps us grasp the miracle that took place. It’s likely the furnace was used to smelt or extract metals from ore. The ore would be dropped into a top opening of the furnace—likely where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown in. An opening in the side of the furnace at ground level may have been where the fire would be fed. This is probably where Nebuchadnezzar watched.
Having the furnace “heated seven times hotter” (v. 19) was an idiom for having it heated as hot as possible; some guess this to be up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. This would explain why the soldiers who threw the three men into the furnace were killed instantly (v. 22).
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Our Daily Bread 14th November 2020 Devotional Message
A wildfire in Andilla, Spain, scorched nearly 50,000 acres of woodland. However, in the middle of the devastation, a group of nearly 1,000 bright green cypress trees remained standing. The trees’ ability to retain water had allowed them to safely endure the fire.
During King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in Babylon, a small cluster of friends survived the flames of the king’s wrath. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a statue Nebuchadnezzar had created, and they told him, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it” (Daniel 3:17). Infuriated, the monarch cranked up the heat seven times hotter than normal (v. 19).
The soldiers who carried out the king’s orders and tossed the friends into the blaze were burned up, yet onlookers watched Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walk around inside the flames “unbound and unharmed.” Someone else was in the furnace as well—a fourth man who looked “like a son of the gods” (v. 25). Many scholars believe this was a preincarnate appearance of Jesus.
Jesus is with us when we face intimidation and trials. In the moments when we’re urged to give in to pressure, we don’t have to be afraid. We may not always know how or when God will help us, but we know He’s with us. He’ll give us the strength to stay faithful to Him through every “fire” we endure.
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Reflect & Pray
Why is the supernatural comfort of God’s presence encouraging to you? How can you support others who may be facing opposition?
Dear God, fill me with Your Spirit so that I can persevere when I feel pressured to give in. I want to honor You by standing strong.
To learn more about the book of Daniel and its prophecies, visit ChristianUniversity.org/OT313.
Jennifer Benson Schuldt has been writing professionally since 1997 when she graduated from Cedarville University and began her career as a technical writer. Currently, she is a writer and blogger for Our Daily Journey, as well as a contributor to Our Daily Bread. Jennifer lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Bob, and their two children. When she isn’t writing or serving at home and church, she enjoys painting, reading poetry and fiction, and taking walks with her family. One of her favorite verses is Micah 6:8, “This is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (NLT).
